One Family's Cancer Journey

6. Daddy is stronger, Mother is weaker

As I mentioned in my post a couple of days ago, Daddy was prescribed prednisone for his current illness. He immediately began to feel better. The prednisone gave him strength and energy he had not had in a long time. Oh, yes, there were negative side effects as well, but at the time, just having him feel better was worth everything.

You see, Mother had three months of chemo and two hospitalizations, one in November and one in December. She was just so weak. Remember the spare bedroom? We converted it into Mother’s bedroom. Medicare paid for a hospital bed for her, as well as a bedside commode, wheel chair and walker. Walking into that room was difficult at first, but we knew Mother needed that hospital bed.

Yes, the hair fell out. So sad to see, as those of you who have either lived through chemo or loves someone who has, know. Speaking of hair loss. I bought Mother a wig and a couple of really cute hats. She ended up wearing the hats all the time, because she could never keep the wig on straight. I guess it never felt completely comfortable on her head. She would just keep ‘messing with it’. We have had many laughs about this. I remember times of looking at her, and the wig would be completely sideways on her head. She never seemed to notice that it was not straight. You just have to laugh sometimes!

Because Daddy was feeling better, he was taking pride in being able to take care of Mother. He began to do things he had NEVER done, such as wash dishes, cook, clean, vacuum, etc. It was his turn, and he knew it. We got tickled at him also, because he really had no clue on the cooking and laundry. He needed lots of advice.

AfterMother’s second hospitalization, it became clear to us that the doctor was really not sure about what to do. He didn’t want to cut back on the chemo, but he knew she was not strong enough to continue them. As sisters, we suggested that it was time to go to MD Anderson Hospital in Houston.

It didn’t take long to get the arrangements and appointments made. I must mention here that the American Cancer Society was a big help to us. I called them, and shared with them my parent’s situation. They paid for our hotel rooms for every trip we made. If you or someone in your family is traveling down the cancer path, I encourage you to call them. They have many resources and they are willing to help.